Dog Fancy publisher adds hot-rod title

The Irvine-based publisher of Dog Fancy and other specialty magazines has inked a 10-year deal to print and distribute automotive publication Rat Rod Magazine.

I-5 Publishing LLC, which was formed this year to acquire the magazine titles and other assets of BowTie Inc., plans to expand Rat Rod's editorial operations and broaden its online presence.

The 3-year-old bimonthly magazine, with retro-style covers often featuring scantily clad women, focuses on specialty hot rods. Mark Harris, I-5's co-founder and chief executive, said Rat Rod has a narrow but passionate following that represents a significant growth opportunity.

"We see it as a nice, untapped niche," he said. "We believe that we need to continue to develop products that are niche and attract a passionate enthusiast market."

I-5 has about 15 mostly pet-themed magazines in its portfolio, such as Dog Fancy and Cat Fancy. It also publishes several car titles, including Auto Restorer magazine.

Harris said the company plans to use its supplier connections, marketing expertise and other resources to streamline Rat Rod's cost structure and improve operations. He declined to discuss the financial terms of the joint venture.

I-5 launched in February when it acquired the titles and book publishing operations of BowTie, Norman Ridker's struggling publishing company.

As online publishing grew in recent years, many of BowTie's titles faced new competition and declines in advertising revenue. Last year, BowTie stopped publishing a print version of one of its titles, Bird Talk, while another, Thoroughbred Times, filed for bankruptcy.

David Fry, who co-founded I-5 with Harris, said since the acquisition his company has been able to cut costs and "restructure a number of agreements with partners."

I-5 plans to restart BowTie's stalled book-publishing division and is building an online presence for each of its magazine titles. Harris also said the company is broadening its revenue streams by utilizing subscriber information for cross-selling purposes.

"By all means," he said, "we want to get back into direct marketing to consumers."